Ilaying cards



Aug. 24, 1926. 1,597,660

0. E. ALBERT PLAYING CARDS Filed Dec. 4. 1925 8 V \v w WITNESS INVENTOR UL mmm E. ,41. BERT 7 4 TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIJI'OBD EALIBEE'I, OI CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORIO THE B. PLAYING CARD- CO., 0] CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

1 LAYING CARDS.

' Application Med December 4, 1925. Serial No. 73,118.

My invention relates to playing cards of the customary type and including the con ventional suit and value designations, and has for its object to provide such cards with an auxiliary value and suit indication located in predetermined positions to enable the number of cards of a suit in a given hand to be easilydetermined. The invention contemplates further the provision of a classifying index readable when the cards are marginally overlapped and comprising symbols located upon the margins of the cards and arranged in suit differentiating alignments. Other objects of the invention will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which shows two examples of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a face view of a hand of cards in the game of bridge; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a different arrangement of the inventionshowing a hand of-cards, for instance, in the game of poker, and Fig. 3 is a face view of a card showing a combination of the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the cards comprise the usual body 5 upon a face of which the major index 6 and the two minor indexes 7, are produced in the conventional manner, the minor indexes being usually located at the corners of each card as shown. In addition, each card of the deck is provided at a predetermined point in close proximity to its opposite end edges with an auxiliary classifying index 8 comprising a suitable symbol or symbols indicative of the suit and value of the card; in the illustrated example this index consists of an indication representing the suit of the card and another indication representing the value of said card. The two indications constituting the auxiliary index 8 may, as shown, comprise miniature reproductions of the minor indexes 7 and are located in close proximity to each other so as to be capable of being easily read in combination one with the other. For instance, in cards which are intended primarily for playing the game of bridge or other card games in which the sequence of the suit values from high to low is spades, hearts,-diamonds and clubs, the arrangement of the auxiliary indexes 8 will be the auxiliary indexes 8 located at opposite ends of each card, these auxiliary indexes may be located in close proximity to the longitudinal edges of said cards as shown at 8 1n Flg. 2. In this form, the auxiliary indexes 8' are so located that the indexes of all of the cards of a given suit are positioned in independent horizontal lines when the cards constituting the hand are held in horizontal marginal overlapping arrangement as shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that, if desired, the cards of a given deck may be provided with both the auxiliary indexes 8 and 8, located for instance as shown in Fig. 3; obviously any other arrangement producing corresponding results may be made on the cards. For instance in cards intended for playing the game of bridge or other games having equivalent suit values, one symbol placed on the proper cards for predetermined alignment may be used to in-.

dicate the two superior suits, spades and hearts, and another properly placed and aligned symbol may be provided to designate the two inferior suits, clubs and diamonds; or symbols may be provided for differentiating hearts and diamonds on the one hand from spades and clubs on the other hand. In all forms of the invention the major and minor indexes 6 and 7, customarily found on playing cards, may be substantially covered up by the cards themselves as only a small portion of the edges of contiguous cards is required to be uncovered in order to expose to full view the miniature auxiliary indexes 8 or .8.

" By locating the auxiliary indexes of each suit, as in the illustrated examples, upon the corresponding point of all of the cards of that particular suit and by positioning the auxiliary indexes of the different suits in staggered or offset relation upon the cards of the different suits, the various suits and values contained in a given hand are definitely separated into independent lines when the cards are held by a Player and said values and suits are easi y distlnguished from each other without requiring any material part ofthe cards composing the hand to be exposed to view.. By thus locating these auxilia indexes, all of those of a 'ven suit wi be automatically arranged m ne with each other, and it is therefore an easy matter to determine at a glance the number of cards of a given suit and the value thereof as contained in a given hand. In other words, the'arrangement of the auxiliary indexes under such conditions is such that the rows .in which they are located and in which they are exposed to view occupy a sequential arrangement correspond ng to the sequence of the value of such su1ts when the cards constituting the hand are held in the position indicated either in Fig. 1 min Fig. 2. By duplicating the auxiliary 1ndexes 8 at opposite ends of the cards or the auxiliary indexes 8' at opposite side edges of 'the cards, no particular care need be exercised in positioning the variouscards in making up the hand by the player; it will be understood that the auxiliary indexes maybe located merely at one end of the cards or at one edge thereof and further that they may be otherwise located than as illustrated to produce an equivalent result. In any case the auxiliary indexes are arranged, either in suit difierentiating alignments or in other equivalent suit distinguishing; arrangements, in a manner to be visibly dislayed when the cards are marginally over- -apped. With the arrangements set forth the number of cards of any given suit which are held in a given hand may be perceived immediately upon opening any hand as dealt, so that the hand may be valued by the player before the suits are classified. The mental process whereby the value of the hand is determined is thus speeded up and at the same time the manual classification ofthe suits is greatly facilitated. In the preferred form, the auxiliary indexes are.

miniature reproductions of the minor 'indexes 7, with the relative arrangement of the two indications constituting these minor indexes sometimes changed, for instance, as shown in Fig. 1.

Various changes in the specific forms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A deck of playing cards having major and minor indexes indicating the suit and value of each card, and an auxiliary index in miniature located at a predetermined point upon each'card in close proximity to an edge thereof so as to be fully exposed when a minimum corresponding edge por-' of the other suits when the cards are held in a pla ing hand.

2 A deck of playinfilcarde having major and minor indexes in 'cating the suit and value of the card produced upon one face, and auxiliary indexes indicating the suit and value of the cards located at predeterminedpoints contiguous to an edge of said cards, t e auxiliary indexes of each suit being located at corresponding points on all of the cards of said suit so as to be in line with each other and out of line with the auxiliary indexes of the other suits'when the cards are marglinallly overlap d.

3. A conventiona dec provided with a suit classifying index readof playing cards able when the cards are marginally overlapped and constituted by the display respectively on each card margin, of a suit identification of the card, arranged with respect to any two or more cards to provide a suit-differentiating, positional relationship.

4. A conventional deck of playing cards provided with a classifying index readable when the cards are marginally overlapped and constituted by the display on each card margin, of a representation of the suit and denomination of said card, said identifica-' tion being positionally arranged in suit differentiating alignment as regards any two or more cards placed in marginal overlap.

p 5. A conventional deck of playing cards provided with a classifying index readable when the cards are marginally overlapped and constituted by. the display on each card margin respectively, of a miniature identification of the suit and denomination of saidcard, said marginal miniatures being arranged in suit differentiating alignments.

6. A conventional deck of playing cards provided. with a classifying index readable I when the cards are marginally overlapped and constituted by the display on 'each' card margin of an identification of the. suit and denomination of said card, each suit identification having a corresponding transverse position on each card of said suit, enabling analignment reading and differentiation of the suits when any two cards are placed in overlapped relationship.

7. A conventional deck of playing cards provided with a classifying index readable when the cards are marginally overlapped and constituted by the display on each card margin respectively of an identification miniature of the suit and denomination of to provide suit differentiating positional in- 'ly of the card to bring two or more suit dexes. symbols into readable alignment differentia- 8. A conventional deck of playing cards tion when cards are marginally overlapped.

provided with an index to positionally dif- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set' 5 ferentiate two or more suits and constituted my hand.

by aflixing on the margin of each card its suit symbol poeitionally arranged transverse- CLIFFORD E. ALBERT. 

